First it was the alarming growth in street homeless, which the mayor dismissed as “fear-mongering.” Then it was the rising tide of street slashings, which he claimed was nothing to worry about. Now the DOT’s abdication on graffiti.

DOT insists it “makes every effort” to “quickly” remove graffiti that’s obscene or a safety hazard. But it no longer has contracted crews dedicated to removing tags on a regular basis. Which is why state Sen. Tony Avella couldn’t get it to remove graffiti from light poles in his Queens district.

Now the mayor needs to show that he truly does get it — and that Friday’s bridge-washing wasn’t a one-time p.r. stunt.